


What We Tolerate

by selftaughthuman



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Equalists (Avatar), F/F, F/M, Minor Character Death, Pro-Bending, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:01:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27351640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selftaughthuman/pseuds/selftaughthuman
Summary: Equalist AU. The Equalists have been gathering influence, garnering support, and working to realize their agenda in Republic City for just over a decade. Playing upon tensions between the bending and non-bending communities, they've succeeded in taking over the city. They now have majority control, the Presidency, and the new incarnation of the Avatar still has yet to appear.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Korra/Mako (Avatar), Mako/Asami Sato, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Kudos: 49





	1. Dissonance

**Author's Note:**

> This is un-betaed, so please excuse any errors. Third-person, POV will alternate chapter by chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asami's POV

Asami Sato was sat in the box seats her family held since she was a child. Her father, Hiroshi Sato, was beside her, cleaning his glasses with a monogrammed handkerchief he kept on his person for such purposes. 

“It’s a shame Varrick beat us to whatever scanning technology they’re using for these matches. Isn’t it?” He remarked as he placed the frames back on the bridge of his nose, pushed them into place with his index finger.

Tipping her head, she was deliberately gentle in her phrasing. “It _is_ more in his wheelhouse.” Her honest appraisal was that they hadn’t a prayer of outpacing Varrick’s corporation in such a category. Future Industries had focused on transportation and housing for nearly three decades now. The occasional military contract popped up for them, but this sort of mechanical gadgetry simply wasn’t something their company did.

“Well, we’ll see how the new division fairs. Perhaps we can change that.” He commented with competitiveness she inherited glinting in his eye. It certainly wasn’t a feat unattainable to him given his visionary genius and knack for anticipating brilliance in others, but she had her misgivings.

Her attention was drawn to the technology in question, fixing on the large and newly installed poles protruding from the water. Their rise was high enough to reach the top tier of the arena’s bleachers. Arranged in a rectangular pattern, they stood impressively tall; their barely audible humming felt through the floor. “How do you think these devices function?”

Hiroshi visually investigated the array, rubbing his chin. “I’m assuming they generate some sort of restricted field which blocks the anti-bending implants. It’s possible it deactivates them temporarily. In any case, it was smart to put it close to the court. Keeps the Benders from getting any ideas on the elevators.” 

She had similarly vague conceptions related to how the pillars might operate. What she really wondered at though, was the anti-bending devices. Those implants, since their emergence, had never sat well with her. Subconsciously she adjusted herself in the chair, internal discomfort contorting her body momentarily. The anti-bending devices seemed to materialize from pure nothingness, fully realized and without any whisper of research or testing or prototypes. Maintaining such a level of secrecy in a market as competitive as Republic City’s was an accomplishment deemed impossible prior. Wayward employees and researchers looking to make a quick yuan could be found by any looking for an edge. Yet these devices were somehow mass-produced and at the ready when the riots reached a critical level. They were instantly thrust into prominence, being a key demand in negotiations between the Equalists and the Bender Alliance Council. 

“You know…I was looking the other day and I still can’t find any information on who built the implants. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“Don’t bother yourself with that. Whoever it is, I hope the city appreciates it. I’m sure the Benders are just as relieved as we are now that they have the means to address their own corruption.”

She was disinclined to agree with either point. “Taking the implant or having their bending taken by force…I’m not sure many of them are relieved about that. It’s not much of a choice, dad.”

His frown was pronounced and visible only through the changing shape of his mustache. “They’re honestly lucky. If it were up to me, that implant would never have been offered.” If it were up to the Equalists, pre-negotiations, that would’ve been the case as well she thought. It made the device’s entrance more suspect still. “Benders don’t truly _need_ their bending, but in President Amon’s defense, I don’t think we ever would’ve stopped the rioting without some compromise.”

 _Compromise_ was a generous term for the agreements reached and the events that transpired, as far as Asami was concerned. She remembered almost four years ago when she heard on the radio the leaders of the Bender Alliance Council had been captured in a raid of their suspected headquarters. She remembered being in that great hall near the city center. She remembered the retribution hearings, when the leaders agreed to be the first fit for implants, rather than lose their bending. The Equalist Party had swept every election since, completely reshaping the political landscape of Republic City.

“I suppose it must be difficult for them in some respects, the idea of losing what they know. What a curse to have to learn to live like the rest of us.” Her father added with a sarcastic scoff. “Though I suppose we would have needed to keep a fair number of them regardless, for employment in the city works at the very least.”

“Then your argument is that it’s okay, so long as their bending is useful for utility production?” She muttered, unsurprised to see him bristle in his seat.

“I cannot, for the life of me understand your objection to that, Asami. Honestly, if a man can direct lightning, why not put him to work in a power station? Why not harness the few societal benefits afforded by something that is otherwise an aberration?”

Sighing, she stood and crossed her arms as she gazed out into the arena, scanning the murmuring crowds. It was futile to debate whether bending was in fact a deficiency with him, but she would try other avenues. “I don’t object to the idea. I object to the fact the _‘job’_ is mandatory for registered Lightningbenders and that the compensation is inadequate.”

Hiroshi flicked his hand dismissively. “It costs a Bender nothing to bend. He incurs no educational cost in learning it. Why should he be paid the same as the highly-skilled, educated professional running and maintaining the machine?”

“Because what the city now pays Benders is not a livable wage.” She challenged.

“Besides the fact they have a duty to contribute to society just like the rest of us, it’s a completely livable wage when we’re giving them housing.” He debated, staring at her. 

“We are not _giving_ them housing. They’re required to move to the city-mandated Bender habitation grids. The Registration Act gives them no option.” She didn’t mean to raise her voice, but he was just would not see any part of this objectively. “On top of that, they still have pay for the housing they have no choice but to live in.”

He shook his head. “Their rent is paltry, a quarter of what any of us pay and it is used primarily for the maintenance of their own buildings, which are more than adequate. The remaining six months are sufficient as a compliance window. It's a simple relocation, really. It doesn't require much planning on their part. Lastly, Republic City actually loses funds on the additional police presence needed for those habitation grids, Asami. It benefits them more than the city.”

“The Bender Tax pays the salary for those additional officers and then some.”

He shook his head. That he thought her naïve, was written all over his face. “Those financial projections come from independent Bender-affiliated groups. You can't trust such information. The government projections, which I would note takes into account equipment and hazard pay for those officers, show a loss. Now sit down, please.”

There was no way she could sit down right now. “I don’t like that we’re going profit on the habitation grid housing project. I wish we hadn’t taken that on.”

Tightening his fist on the arm of the seat, he paused for a moment. “It was not your decision, thankfully. Why shouldn’t we profit from something we were contracted to build and is a good investment? Isn’t that the purpose of our company? Would you have us do it for charity’s sake? You’d run Future Industries into the ground making decisions that way.”

She inhaled through her nostrils, closed her eyes, and gathered herself before continuing. “But we’re now a part of this. We could have chosen to take another build, something like the City Park redesign or upgrading the existing train system. It doesn’t have to be cut-rate housing designed to isolate Benders.”

Hiroshi’s expression was unmoved. “They _should_ be isolated. A muzzled platypus bear still has its teeth. Never forget what Benders are.”

Rolling her eyes, she watched the blue-green waves roll through the pool below the court. “I’ve read the research dad. I know what it says about bending.” Flawed science in her opinion, but her opinion was counting for less and less with him. There was little consideration for alternate theories, variables, or external factors in the recent government-funded studies. She thought whatever science existed within them was distorted by predetermined conclusions.

“I'd like to remind you that you’re yet again overlooking the most important point in all of this.” He said, trying to keep himself calm.

Every ounce of her was dreading whatever came next. “What’s that?”

“They have a choice, Asami. They can choose to become non-Benders and their restrictions and taxes are automatically relieved. If their bending is so precious to them that they are willing to put the rest of us at risk, then they must accept some precautionary measures.” It was a recycled justification she’d heard in a thousand iterations by now…one fervent Equalists attached to every political measure passed.

Her father was falling further and further beneath their influence with each passing year. It was cleaving their relationship in two, eroding their common ground. All these things, they must have lived within him before, but she never saw them fully, not until the past few years. When viewed in their entirity, they were somewhat monstrous to her. “Again, we have a different definition of choice.” She reiterated.

Hardening his face, his fingers drummed on the wooden rest. “Well, what about these Pro-Benders? Each one of them now makes a small fortune under the City Gaming Commission’s new league rules. When their team performs up to par, they are paid more than any power station Administrator can hope to make regardless of his qualifications. That is opportunity…and it is one that non-Benders will never have.”

There was truth there, but it still carried illusory aspects. The entire system was dependent upon the favor of the public in her estimation. “The only reason that opportunity exists is that non-Benders love to watch the sport. It’s an amusement.”

“What is your point, Asami? Movers are also amusements, do you take issue with them? And would you sit down already!” His voice was harsher, more commanding and she felt her legs tighten, feet planting in defiance. 

“I’ll sit when I want to! And I'm not talking about movers, because movers aren't designed to exploit bending." She turned to him, her green eyes narrowed and glaring. “What I'm saying is that we can’t on the one-hand, quote all this science proving that bending is an abomination, and then sanction its use for entertainment or utilitarian purposes that benefit non-Benders. It’s hypocritical!”

His thick chest heaved, and his finger was thrust out, wagged at her. “That’s idealistic non-sense! Everything and everyone has a purpose. Entertainment is a purpose. Theirs is merely being realized.”

“So we're okay with commoditizing them?” She questioned shrewdly, crossing her arms. “I suppose those new Bender-staffed spas cropping up in all the luxury high-rises make more sense then.”

“You sound so much like one of those bleeding-heart sympathizers, it’s off-putting. If a Bender does their job and follows the laws, then they are paid and left alone like any other citizen. There. Is. No. Problem.” He punctuated each word, sitting up straight and tall in his seat.

“I don’t believe that. There must be a better way than this.” She said quietly as the speakers crackled to life, the announcer booming above them. Their eyes stayed skyward, listening until he finished.

_“It’s Pro-Bending night in Republic City, once again folks!! This marks the first match held in two years. I’m sure we’re all relieved to be getting back to business as usual. Of course, new rules are in play, most notably President Amon’s newly instituted bending restriction with Varriscan technology. Our non-Benders can rest assured this arena is one hundred percent safe! Tonight’s match sees the Future Industries Fire Ferrets take on the White Falls Wolfbats in a grudge match that’s sure to thrill. We’ll be getting to that in just a few moments, so start finding those seats!”_

Not a second later, Hiroshi started back up. “There is no better way, Asami. Benders have proven time and time again they are incapable of self-regulation. How can they be trusted to self-regulate when bending is akin to mental deficiency? By not giving them the means to control themselves when we have it, we do them a disservice. We set them up to fail. This is just as much for them as us! We all understand the history of this city, that it was founded by Avatar Aang and his gang of friends, but a critical eye is not just for the present. For too long we were willing to overlook the fundamental fact that the chaos and destruction they fought only existed because of Benders in the first place. Bender wars have done nothing but destroy or threaten the lives of Non-Benders for centuries. And as for the Avatars, powerful as they were, they are indisputable evidence of the unhinged, uncontrolled madness that Bending causes. I, for one, am glad the next has disappeared…dead we can only hope. The facts are the facts Asami. Bending is a perversion of the body and mind.”

“It sounds like you’re reading straight from an Equalist Party pamphlet.” It was the only response she felt was worth giving.

He raised his eyebrow at her, his tone turning to implore. “And I would ask you what’s so wrong with that? The President may have unified the Party, but the Equalists have spent the last ten years drumming up enough support and influence to do what needed to be done when no one else would. There has never been a time when we were so close to finally balancing things. The city is fragile right now and the people need their leaders and prominent members to show faith and solidarity. They don’t need us questioning the President at every turn. You need to stop with your derisive critiques of the Party. It only reinforces the discord we’re trying to stamp out. Another word and I honestly have half a mind to offer you up to the city review board for riot inciters. They can settle this with you if you won’t listen to reason.” Folding his hands in his lap, he watched his daughter carefully. 

The woman was boiling in anger at the idea. “That review board is nothing but…”

His eyes popped wide. “ENOUGH! Asami, enough! The Benders were burning the city to the ground. The review board was the only method that worked for controlling agitators, who by the way brought their punishment upon themselves! If they were peaceful in their objections in the first place, used the correct political channels to impart change just as the Equalists did, none of this would have been necessitated. What would you have…”

“I need some air.” She interrupted back, storming toward the door of their private box.

“No, you do not.” Moving swiftly, he clutched her wrist and yanked her back before she wrenched it from his grip. They stood toe-to-toe, glaring. “Whether you like it or not, you exist within this system. You benefit from it and you _will_ support our sponsored Team because you have a duty to this city and to them, Asami. This is their first match, and a rare opportunity to show unity between us and the Benders. Do not make a statement you’ll regret during one of the few joyous events we’ve seen in the past few years. Pro-Bending is Republic City’s favorite pastime, and we _will_ enjoy...”

_“Alright, folks. The match is about to begin…but first let’s direct our attention to the center court for a stirring rendition of the Equalist Unity Anthem performed by everyone’s dream gal, mover star Ginger!!! Who knew she could sing too!?”_

Pinching the bridge of her nose as the announcer finished, the truth in his words echoed beneath the throbbing in her head. The return of Pro-Bending was a huge deal, and nearly the only good news she'd heard in ages. It was the talk everywhere she'd been for weeks now. She retook her seat stiffly, at the far end of the row of four chairs. The song, which she’d heard before at every city event since President Amon's election, it was her father's words dressed up and prettied. Lyrics were thankfully drowned out by the responsive chanting of the off-key crowd, her father joining in tunelessly while remained silent. 

When the vibrato on the actress’s last note faded, when the roar of applause ended, Ginger blew the fans several exaggerated kisses. _"How ‘bout that Ginger folks? Just beautiful!”_ The announcer proclaimed. 

Silence descended between them, filling thier space until he spoke on a new topic. “You may be interested to learn we have a new Bender. Pretend if you wish, but I know you love this sport. You have since you were old enough to beg me to take you here simply so you could watch from my knee.” She was about to send him a scathing look when an older man’s head popped through the curtain behind them.

“Hey there, you two!” She turned to see a grinning face and scraggly beard, her mood lifting.

“Captain Bumi! Just in time to help me knock my daughter off her political soapbox.” _Until that._

The older man sauntered through the curtain’s part, leaning palms on the back of the chair beside her. “Asami!! You givin’ your old man trouble?” With a smile that was more of a smirk, she gazed up at him fondly, eyes starting to twinkle as they did when she was happy. “Here’s the real deal. Forget politics. You see…governments are like people. In the end, they’re all goddamn terrible.” She laughed outright; her tension eased.

Hiroshi was not laughing though, was shocked and stumbled out a response. “Not quite the advice I was looking for.”

“Whoops. Sorry there, Chief!” A big hand clapped Hiroshi’s back, knocking his glasses to the tip of his nose. “Read the room wrong. Seemed like you were angling for a little levity.” He said, with another toothy grin and she kept herself from saying he read the room entirely right.

She cut in with another thought. “My father was just telling me we have a new Bender. Mako and Bolin are still there, right?”

He gawked comically. “Are you kidding? We’d never ditch the brothers!! Had to whip ‘em back into shape some, of course, but they were happy to get back out there! All the Pros are.” Picking at his nails, he then polished them on his shirt.

She nodded. “What happened to Hasook?”

“Ah, he opted into the whole non-bending community deal when they offered the incentive.” The incentive program was yet another initiative she thought too gray to support, but she’d said her piece tonight. Asami had little intention of continuing the argument in front of company anyway. It would’ve been unfair and impolite. 

“Good for him. He was unremarkable skill-wise.” Her dad added dismissively.

“Who did we get as the replacement? No chance it's Ming-Hua…” The question was conspiratorial and mostly done for the absurd reaction she knew it would provoke.

He laughed aloud, hands on his belly, smacking the seat back for a moment. “Woo! That’s a good one!!! You’re out of your mind, kid. That woman is a force of nature, but another Harmonic Convergence would come before the Dragon Birds ever released her. Besides, she would eat up our whole Bender budget.”

 _The Dragon Birds_ …she wondered how any Team could have such a thoroughly stacked roster, assuming, of course, they still had the same trio. It was fully possible Zaheer was some evolved super trainer, but she doubted it. The Team either had a cash source or a particularly devoted and deep-pocketed anonymous sponsor.

“We picked up some unknown, I heard.” Hiroshi volunteered, knocking her from her thoughts. 

“Yeah, Tenzin scouted her on the cheap because she’s green and unranked. Which worked, since we needed to sweeten the deal for the boys a little anyway. Didn’t want’em to get scooped.” Bumi assessed, rubbing his hands together as he eyed the arena.

That was a bit of a shock to her. “Tenzin? I thought he disapproved of Pro-Bending?” She questioned.

“He does…well, usually. I’m wearing him down. Anyway, this girl’s an exception…family friend on our mom’s side. Did the whole meditation training routine with her. He roped our sister, Kya in too for the Waterbending.”

“How is Tenzin?” She remembered him at the hearings. A man with a mystique about him, the airbending son of the last known Avatar, and a leader among the Bender Resistance. There’d been an odd pain in her chest when she saw him seated beside the also indicted former police chief, looking solemn and defeated with his strange head tattoo gleaming blue under the glaring lights. 

“Same as ever. He’s got this new thing where he’s working with little bender kids. Got this idea that if you get ‘em controlling their bending earlier, the implant is easier to take. He can’t help it with the do-gooding, higher-purpose crap. Always been like that.” The former naval Captain commented, his eyes again darting to the arena as the bridges extended over the water trap.

Something he’d said caught her. “Easier to _take_? Is the implant painful?”

Her dad immediately intercepted, which made her all the more suspicious. “Yes, well. Is this new Waterbender promising?”

He strolled over and tossed an arm over the back of her dad’s seat now, bending himself in half and whispering loudly. “…I’m gonna level with you Hiroshi. The girl’s a hothead, a little intense, but she can bend.”

Glancing her way, her father tilted his head exactly as she was wont to do when making a satisfying point. “Sounds as though you two will be getting along famously, Asami.”

She frowned and sent him a disapproving glance. “Am I meeting her?”

“Of course. I need to head back to the office after this, but I expect you to represent Future Industries on our behalf. I’ve arranged for a photo-op with the Team after the match. We’ll decide when to use it, depending on their performance.” It was not news she enjoyed hearing, not feeling particularly up for socializing. Better her than her father, she supposed. 

“I just hope the referees are better than they were before.” The lamentation was made as she watched the new officials stepping out onto the raised platforms, arranging their penalty fans. 

“Don’t get me started.” Bumi chuckled. “Those last guys didn’t know their ass from their elbow. A blind otter penguin with a fan taped to its flap could’ve done better.”

They all observed as the Benders from both teams swaggered onto the center court, waving at the spectators. As they passed the towering pillars, a bell echoed and each of the athletes made a show of their suddenly returned skills…a tiny fire, a floating earth disc, a perfect sphere of water.

The Wolfbats also employed their usual theatrics; masks and capes designed after their animal namesake as a measure of intimidation. Then she observed as their new Waterbender took a knee, flexed her biceps in some exaggerated and practiced pose with Bolin, where he did the same but standing behind her. Both pumped their arms practically oozing braggadocio, and she felt her eyebrow lift upward. Her gaze flickered to Mako as he stood rigidly beside them, arms crossed.

She suddenly found herself acknowledging it was probably for the best nothing much came of her few dates with the Firebender. It hadn’t been serious enough for her to consider telling Hiroshi anyway. The withholding was less to do with his Bender status and more to do with a concern for perceived impropriety, as they had just started sponsoring the Fire Ferrets. They’d met by chance actually and outside the arena, neither knowing who the other was. The riots halted their romance, the streets unsafe, and their burgeoning feelings were left to fade by the wayside. Now he was only a boy she once dated briefly, whose lips and arms she happened to know the feel of, who she might still hold a fondness for. Asami was resolute that such knowledge didn’t have to make their reunion awkward. Steeling herself to see him again; it was therefore entirely unnecessary. 

“So, what do you think of our chances against the Wolfbats?” She asked Bumi curiously, wanting to distract herself.

The announcer’s animated voice again halted their conversation and made the Benders abandon their posturing to arrange themselves in starting position. “ _The Future Industries Fire Ferrets have their two stars back in action tonight! The fabulous bending brothers, Mako on Fire and Bolin on Earth. They’re joined by their new Waterbender, Korra. And over on the other side, the White Falls Wolfbats are in much the same position, having lost their ever-popular Captain at the close of our last playable season. What a scandal that was! Back for more is Shaozu on Fire and Ming on Earth, accompanied by another new Waterbender, Monelak. It’s rookie versus rookie and Water Tribe double-trouble as we get our very first glimpse of these new talents. Eyes on this space folks!”_

She turned the information received about their new Bender over in her mind, committing it to memory for later. Korra, a woman from one of the Water Tribes, and a hothead. Sneaking back toward her, Bumi settled halfway between her and her father, leaning over and folding his arms across a chair back.

“Without the refs in their pocket, the Wolfbats are junk. Those guys were dirty before when Tahno was around, but now that he’s out and blacklisted, we got ‘em…easy. Only wild card is that the three of ‘em still got some chemistry problems, see that? New girl’s already driving Mako up a wall. You know how twitchy he can get. His timing is a total mess around her, but Bo likes the girl. Look at ‘em move together.” Bolin and Korra moved like a pair on the court, but Mako bounced between a solo act and playing off Bolin, ignoring the Waterbender completely. Their group cohesion was sporadic at best, maybe only accidental. “Well! I should get down there, but I just wanted to come pay my respects to our generous Patrons.” He bowed to her father grandly and sent her a wink. She smiled his way, waving as Hiroshi gave him a rigid nod. 

They both bid him goodbye, before settling into viewing stances which were quite similar. Scooted forward in their seats, elbows on their knees, fists beneath their chins, they watched. When Asami noticed the identical posture, she adjusted her own, sitting tall in her seat instead. Bumi was right, she noted. The new Bender was a bit of a hothead…too bold, too impulsive and Mako refused to trust her. Even unpolished though, she had a substantially higher degree of skill than Hasook at his most formidable. She could see how Mako’s quick combos would eventually combine with the power the other two displayed. Once the trust was there, she felt a small tickle of hope building for the trio. With the dynamics ironed out, Asami was reasonably certain they could be a showcase Team for the company. She was watching Korra with special interest, a small thrill thrumming through her at some particularly impressive hits and techniques. Interestingly, her footwork and arm motions were faintly reminiscent of an Airbender. They were more powerfully done, but with the same flourishes and fluidity. She imagined that was Tenzin’s influence.

They might have just lucked out in acquiring her she decided, especially at the time they did. Her mind was already racing though, already concerned that if Korra developed into the player she looked to be, something might need to be done about the Fire Ferret’s allotted Bender budget. It might be particularly problematic if the woman were to discover what the more experienced brothers were making. She was getting well ahead of herself, and those would be Bumi’s decisions. Still, she knew herself well enough to understand she was already investing, would be chatting with the man frequently if the season went their way. It was likely she might even make a pitch for additional funds, an investment in the team’s future.

However, in the present, their current state of disorganization meant a frustrating number of missed opportunities. Where on skill alone they should’ve won handedly, it unnecessarily came down to the final round. Her father and she were both tapping their feet nervously. Mako and Korra weren’t watching each other and collided accidentally, causing the Waterbender to take two rapid earth discs to the stomach. She tumbled head over feet, slamming into the court as she was knocked clean through all three zones. In a shocking display, she was able to get a single shot off a foot from the edge, knocking the other team’s unprepared Waterbender into the drink as well. The announcer nearly lost his mind over it, and she smiled to herself as the crowds screamed. It really was beautifully done. Then the final round progressed with only both Team’s veteran players. Hiroshi and she simultaneously threw their hands up at a missed ice foul. She rolled her eyes and he removed his glasses, rubbing furiously at his forehead before they shared a quick glance, meaningful and accompanied by a tiny, but mutual smile.

The moment was an ache in her heart, rather than any resolution to the evening and pulled her from her immersion in the match. Though the Fire Ferrets eked out a win and she planned to congratulate them thusly, it was hard for her to enjoy fully. Her father left shortly thereafter with little fanfare, but a promise that they’d have dinner tomorrow night, a pat to her shoulder. She’d agreed with a quick nod because they were all each other had left for family and there was so much past nestled thickly between them. Since her mother's untimely death when she was six, they'd been inseparably close. Coming to work with him whenever her schooling permitted, tinkering with him on the Satomobiles in their garage, the tools he'd handmade for her much smaller hands that she still kept despite long since having outgrown them...it all hurt her to think of suddenly. As she descended the stairs to the locker areas alone, she had trouble shaking a resoundingly hollow feeling, returning to his assertion that she lived within this system, lived the life she did because of it. Asami did love this sport, did want it to continue and it was more lucrative than other options for Benders. Was that enough though? Did Benders think it was enough, all else aside? She also had not a clue as to how she could reconcile waking each morning with a sense of living inside a world gone terribly wrong, while her father seemingly woke each day with a sense that the world was finally becoming what it should’ve been all along. The love she felt for him, the hero-worship of her childhood, and how far apart they’d grown foundationally, she did not know what to make of it any of it.

Nearing the Team preparation areas, she tried her best to bury any such conflicts, readying a smile just before entering.


	2. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra's POV

Korra unceremoniously jerked her Fire Ferrets top over her head, staring down at the angry bruise on her abdomen, a mosaic of blue, red, and yellow with a welt rising thickly in the center. Her hands shot out on either side of the mark that covered half the width of her torso. She almost went to go grab some water, ready to fix it, before having to remind herself she couldn’t bend in this area of the compound. 

“Yeowch,” Bolin commented, sucking air through his teeth as a single lock of unruly hair clung to his slickened forehead. “He got you good, huh?”

“Yeah, because _someone_ ran into me!” She crossed her arms over her wrapped chest, voice laced with growl as she shot Mako an annoyed glare. He was sitting on the bench in the center of the room about a foot from her discarded shirt.

Straight lipped and unsmiling, he cocked a distinctive eyebrow at her, tugging a glove away. “Don’t blame me. You were supposed to stay on the left flank! It’s what we agreed to.”

Agitatedly, she dragged hands over her face, bottom lids stretching as she snapped. “I was improvising!!”

“Yeah, _that_ worked.” He mumbled dismissively, as he tossed his other glove beside him. 

On meeting Mako, she was admittedly very much enamored of him. His firebending impressed her mightily, his handsome face just as much so. She’d enthusiastically remarked on his skill after her first viewing, complimenting where compliments were due…and nothing. Nothing but a disinterested nod and his back to her as he walked away. Then he’d made it his mission to be on her case constantly in practices. He was nitpicky and condescending and generally gnawed on her last nerve. Cute as he was, at this juncture in time, she was toying with the notion of writing him off as a total jerk.

Stepping between the two, Bolin raised his hands in a gesture of peace, his tone soft and soothing. “Okay, okay, you two. We won, right? That’s good! Fire Ferrets take the match!!” His head swiveled on his neck, desperately seeking confirmation of a hatchet buried from either. Both pouted childishly and turned away. “It was a great night, guys!” Trying again, he slid onto the bench, moving Korra’s shirt aside before slinging an arm around his brother’s stooped shoulders. He painted a picture with his other arm, straightened and sweeping outward. “Crowds chanting, fans screaming our names, remember?!” Neither listener bothered to correct the hyperbolic inaccuracies. “We should go for noodles. Celebrate!” Bolting upright, he clapped his hands together excitedly. “Get those team vibes going!!! Whaddya say?”

With a dramatic sigh, the Waterbender glanced skeptically down at the seated men. “I have to get my healing hours in.”

“Woah, you’re a healer, Korra?!” The young man questioned, green eyes wide and bright.

Scratching at the back of her neck, she shook her head at herself. “Yeah, one who hasn’t even put a dent in her quota.”

The number of regulations for Benders in this city was a vice slowly crushing her brain. If it wasn’t for Pro-Bending, she’d be drowning in her own misery. Between making sure she didn’t violate any of the restrictions due to her status as a non-citizen, accidentally get Tenzin in trouble as her legal sponsor, or forget to meet her mandatory healing hours, her head was spinning. There was also that absolutely ridiculous implant she had to get for roster eligibility. The stupid thing caused a constant low-level ache at the base of her skull. And she could swear it moved on its own sometimes, was responsible for this creeping sensation which raced erratically down her spinal cord and out to the tips of her fingers. She hated having it, but it was the only way forward. Tenzin had been clear about that. 

“Come on, Korra! You’ve got two more whole days. You could do ‘em tomorrow, yeah? Quotas for Pro-Benders are teeny tiny!!” He pinched his fingers, a sliver of space between them that he peered through. “There’s three matches scheduled. You’ll pull ‘em down easy. Just volunteer for tomorrow.” Bolin pleaded.

Up until this moment, she’d been sure that her hours would have to be fulfilled at one of those spas downtown. She was absolutely not looking forward to having to heal a bunch of rich, scantily clad strangers, so this was good news. “I can do them here?”

“Says so on the flyer in the hall. They keep a healer on staff for the matches!” Shrugging, his glance again bounced between the other two occupants of the locker area expectantly but only silence greeted him. “Aw come on! Just listen! Noooodles. Noooooodles. Nooo-Ooodles.” He sang into the air, voice whisper-quiet, and lilting on a wavering melody before his eyes popped back open. It was impossible for the woman not to smile at. “See, they’re calling our names!”

“Sounds more like they’re calling their own name.” She laughed and smiled freely, had long since come to accept its natural lopsidedness. It had bothered her as a child, the crookedness of her grin, but now it was sort of a signature thing, like a birthmark. As was the case sometimes with physical distinctions, she’d come to appreciate its uniqueness.

“Mako, you’ll come, right? We gotta celebrate!!” Golden eyes shifted, traveling from the floor to Korra’s face, expression unreadable before his body sagged in surrender. 

“Fine, Bolin.” Reaching over, he patted his brother’s knee, releasing a long-suffering exhalation. “You…like noodles, Korra?” He asked, an olive branch extended.

Relenting, she let herself relax, gave Mako as genuine a look as she could muster. Maybe he wasn’t so bad. He was a good brother anyway. “Sure. Let’s do it.”

“Yes!!!” The young man’s arm pumped powerfully, as he pulled his fist tight to his chest. “Fire Ferret’s first team victory dinner!!”

“Hello? Is it okay if I come in?” A woman peeked through the entranceway, long dark hair spilling to the side as she leaned across the doorframe. Mako jumped to his feet immediately, pulling his uniform straight as the woman walked in, tossing her hair unnecessarily.

“Oh…hey, Asami.” Watching the scene with growing distaste, she tried not to roll her eyes when he ran a hand through his own hair, pulling it higher. “Didn’t know you were coming tonight.” He said, voice deliberately cooler, forcibly composed. 

“Everyone was so excited for this!!” The woman, Asami apparently, answered him while ignoring the bravado. She was dressed like she had more money than anyone needed and boldly walked right up to him, hugging with obvious familiarity. A kernel of something coiled itself in the pit of Korra’s stomach. “It’s been a long time!! How have you been?”

“You know. Just working. And this. Mostly this now.” He spoke, his words fighting him a little, eyes fighting him a little as they fixed at an appropriate height.

Korra knew her expression was unimpressed but couldn’t find it in herself to care. Was this Mako’s girlfriend or something? His girlfriend he happened to never mention during the myriad practice sessions they’d shared? Gazing at the woman, who in addition to being very fancy was also very classically pretty, she didn’t know how to react. 

A red blur of fur darted across the room and up Bolin’s leg, snagging her attention, as the creature clung to his back. Leaning in, he whispered to the fire ferret, mouth twisted to the side and tone singsong. “Someone’s happy to see Asami, Pabu…” All of it only exacerbated the Waterbender’s darkening mood.

“So, what’s Miss Fancy Girl doing down here?” She muttered to the stocky young man beside her, cupping a hand over her mouth to block the sound as the woman laughed, and lightly touched Mako’s shoulder. She resisted the urge to gag…barely. 

“OH! I’ll introduce you.” He answered excitedly as if it occurred to him just now that Korra and this woman had never met.

“No, that’s…”

“Aww, come on!” He threw an arm around her back, dragging her up to the flirty pair while she dug her heels in unsuccessfully.

The woman turned to them immediately, shifting her focus. “Hey, Bolin!”

“Asami!! It’s so good to see you!” He then grappled the woman in a bearhug. She clearly didn’t expect it, features a picture of alarm before he set her down a few feet from where Korra stood.

Bolin then straightened up and cracked his neck. Reaching out, he took each of their hands carefully, suddenly, holding their fingers with his much large ones while they both stiffened. The other woman was only adding to the discomfort because for some reason Korra couldn’t figure out, she kept averting her eyes and drawing them back like she didn’t know where to look. The whole thing was terribly weird. 

“Ahem!!!” Bolin began, clearing his throat. “Miss Korra, Waterbender and Healer, third member of the newly reformed Fire Ferrets, hailing from the Southern Water Tribe!!” He continued in an exaggeratedly formal voice, both of them turning to gape at him because apparently, things could get weirder yet. The two women remained wooden, both struggling for an appropriate reaction. “May I humbly present our most gracious benefactor, Savior of the Fire Ferrets, Friend of Pabu, and Heiress to Future Industries, Miss Asami Sato!” He concluded, beaming at them both as Pabu climbed atop his head, clinging to his slightly mussed hair and chirping. Releasing their hands, he scooted away with a bow as he left them facing each other, lips parted wordlessly. 

“Would you cut it out, Bolin?” Mako reprimanded, smacking his brother’s arm.

“Wow…I wasn’t prepared for such a lofty introduction.” Asami managed to shove out before she laughed warmly, dissolving the awkwardness to some degree. The residual shock was still there as eyes finally settled on Korra’s. They were an interesting shade of green, lighter than most. The Waterbender gave a small smile, an instinctual and subconscious reaction to the kindness in that gaze. 

“...hi, I guess.” She offered with a grin, knowing she probably looked like a goof, but unsure what to say or why this overture was dragging out to such an extent.

“Yes, hi! It’s so great to meet you, Korra! You were amazing out there tonight!! That hit you got off in the final round?! It was incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that!”

“Uh-ha.” She felt the embarrassment run her over like a speeding polar bear dog as the compliment hit; couldn’t believe that her cheeks were heating up. Trying to play it off, she shrugged. “Thanks!”

“It was a decent play.” Mako acknowledged casually, resting against the wall near her.

“Oh man!! Decent?! It was phenomenal! Hasook never would’ve gotten that shot.” Bolin chimed in, bumping her shoulder with his own, while she gave him a limp wristed retaliatory shove.

Interrupting them, a small man with a thin mustache and thick glasses stumbled into the entryway, a giant camera dangling from his neck. “Miss Sato. Your father requested we get a photo with the team. Is now a good time?” Frightened by his entrance, the fire ferret bolted for the corner of the room, wrapping his bushy tail around his body protectively.

Asami’s vaguely cat-like eyes scanned their group, hopeful and questioning. “What do you think? Are you all up for a picture?”

Bolin was beside her in a minute, nodding vigorously and chatting about backgrounds and poses.

Mako and she watched the two until he pushed off the wall. “Here. You should uh…” Walking over to the bench, grabbing the article of clothing there, he handed it to her. A half-smile was accompanied by a puff of air through his nose. “Probably put your shirt back on for the picture.” 

“Oh, right.” It was only then she realized she still wasn’t wearing anything but her wrap to cover her torso. It wasn’t something she cared about really, but he was right. Probably not picture appropriate. Slipping the tunic back on, she tucked it in before straightening her hair hastily. 

Maybe that’s what Asami glancing away seven thousand times was about. She forgot that people in Republic City viewed their bodies differently, thought of them with a level of objectification even in everyday situations that were absent in her home. Water Tribe clothing certainly wasn’t revealing, but seeing skin was only that and it was natural to glance briefly, especially if someone was attractive. People just didn’t think much of it after the fact. The boys were used to shirtlessness or tank tops from her by now, but Bolin was a tomato the first time she ever stripped her top away post-training. She liked her arms bare and their uniforms were restrictive. The gawking was worth it if her biceps got a little breathing time.

“Wait!! Guys! Opinion.” Bolin puffed out his chest, cheesing up his smile, and resting fists on his hips. “Left side?” He whipped in the other direction. “Or right side?”

“It doesn’t matter! Just get over here.” The reply from his much taller brother was instant and agitated. He stood next to Bolin, pulling at his hair again for extra height. 

“We’re going right side, Pabu! Up!!” The fire ferret darted back up in his miniature white uniform, the gear logo prominently displayed as he stood on rear legs.

They arranged themselves how the photographer indicated, spastic waves of his hands directing their scuffling and adjustments. The blinding flash left them all sightless and blinking each of the five times it blew out the room. Pabu only stayed for the first shot, glaring in betrayal from the bench for the rest of them, eyes nothing but accusing slits. Shuffling off with a bow and words of gratitude, the man left the quartet.

“Asami!!! Hey, you gotta come for noodles tonight with the three of us!” Bolin announced as if it was a forgone conclusion.

Korra studied Asami for a moment, the woman seeming to struggle internally with the invitation, wondered if she was trying to find some way to politely refuse. “Oh…thanks, but are you sure I wouldn’t be intruding?”

Mako seemed to perk up, before fixing his face. “No, it’s just a casual thing. You could definitely tag along!” Korra resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

The brothers then turned her way, as if waiting for her to profess some great desire to have this girl accompany them after they just changed up the plans on her. But at this point, what could she say but ‘yes’, without being outright rude. The woman was nice enough, but that didn't mean Korra wanted her there. Now it no longer seemed like a Team outing.

“Sure. Why not?” She said indifferently, an attempt to disguise her disappointment.

It took about forty minutes to change Korra’s mind. By that time, they had switched to street clothes, hitched a ride in the woman’s expensive-looking car, and arrived at a place where Asami apparently knew the owner. Now they were contentedly nestled in some private booth at that back, ordering way too many small plates after their much-hyped noodles. The dishes were shared family-style over a bottle of fire whisky. Bolin and she piled their plates, perfect matches in hearty appetite. It was a night unlike any Korra really had before, spending time with a group of people her own age for an entirely frivolous purpose. Her youth had been isolated and heavy on the training, with mostly her polar bear dog as company. She had few friends to speak of; none her peers. Though she was still getting to know these people, it was the closest she’d ever come to _‘a night out with friends’_. Maybe that was why, uncharacteristically worried thoughts kept drifting across her mind…that she was laughing too loud, being too boisterous, eating too fast, talking too much. It was also fully possible, that the fact she had secrets to keep, was added pressure in a new situation. Korra was not a person made for secrets…they tended to eat her alive.

After her first glass of whisky, those anxieties coalesced, forming a tiny ball of tightness in her chest that made her briefly question each word she said. By her second glass though it all dissolved in the burn of whisky and she ceased to care, slipped back into her own skin for the remainder of the evening. Reclining on the colorful silk pillows, she settled into the experience, the four of them chatting about nothing in particular. It wasn’t until Asami and Mako turned their attention toward each other, that she decided to turn her attention away from them. Korra made her own fun with Bolin, slackening her internal reins a touch, allowing herself a release in the form of unconcerned silliness and joviality. Bolin was a comfort for her, had been since they met, a person to sink into…and she half-wished she’d been able to reciprocate the crush he had when she first started training with the Ferrets. A single date and a good kiss with no spark were enough to know there could be nothing more. In any case, he’d since moved on…she was several crushes ago now which was just as well. But those other two, the way they were with each other kept distracting her, made her feel hot, itchy, and annoyed. What were they to each other? They never said.

“Are you two a thing or something?” She blurted out, not aggressively, maybe a little aggressively...but mostly suspiciously. It was two hours into their night, and she had a dram of half-downed fire whisky dangling between her fingers while she sat cross-legged on the plush bench.

Mako reacted as though she’d thrown the drink in his face, startling backward in the booth. “No!” He sputtered. For a single instant she worried she’d offended Asami too, but whatever ire the woman felt was wholly directed at Mako. Asami was frowning for the first time since their introduction and undeniably at him.

“It’s not a crazy question. We did date, a while back.” The woman commented, adjusting her own posture. Her displeasure with his reaction was painfully clear and thickened the atmosphere of the room.

Bolin sipped his own liquor pretending not to watch. Korra’s eyes darted between them, guilt creeping back in, but then she stomped on it. That question really shouldn’t have been that a big deal, was a thing that would’ve been easily laughed away as an honest mistake if it wasn’t true.

“Heeeey, sooo…” The younger brother’s voice slid through the tension, his face that of a child trapped between fighting parents. “How’s your dad, Asami? I haven’t seen Mr. Sato in forever.”

“He’s okay.” There was something that rushed through those eyes, sped by, and filled Korra with the sense that she didn’t know a single true thing about this girl yet. It was a strange thought and she questioned why it would ever pass through her mind. “He was there tonight.”

Bolin slumped onto his folded elbows dramatically. “How come he didn’t come say ‘hi’?”

“He’s the CEO of the biggest company in the city, Bolin. I’m sure he had stuff to do.” The taller man leaped to Asami’s defense and Korra noted she wasn’t the only person feeling culpable for the shift in mood.

“Okay, hey! I was just asking.” The man defended, raising his hands, before snatching a bun from a new platter that had just arrived ‘compliments of the chef’. “Korra! You gotta try one.” She didn’t need to be told twice.

Glancing over toward Mako, brow cinched, Asami clarified. “He had to go back to the office. I’m sure he would’ve come down otherwise.”

“Your dad’s the CEO of the company that sponsors us? That’s what the whole heiress thing was about?” It was asked right before Korra sank her teeth into one of the most delicious things she’d ever had in her mouth. She’d never tasted anything like it and her eyes popped wide as they inspected that miraculous, slightly sticky filling. The traces it left made her lick at her lips, the sweetness pleasing her tongue.

“…yes, he is.” When she lifted her eyes, she caught the slightest bit of embarrassment on Asami’s face. Were people embarrassed to be rich? Was that a thing?

“They’ve got this huge mansion! Oh, with this amazing pool! Man, Korra they throw the best parties. When we made the finals!! What a night. If I lived there, I’d never leave.” He said dreamily.

Laughing quietly and behind her hand, the woman made a comment that surprised her. “Honestly, I’d rather be with you guys.”

“Really?!” The question shot out of Bolin’s mouth before she could voice her own dubiousness. Then he melted. “Aw!”

“Well, otherwise I’d be home trying not to watch my father work himself to death with the radio droning in the background.” And that, she noted, felt a lot more real than anything the woman had yet said. “I suppose I could spend time with one of the Satomobiles, but it’s cold in the garage this time of year.”

 _Spend time with them?_ It was absolutely puzzling phrasing. What did one do with those things alone in a garage? “Do you talk to them or something?” Korra inquired, perhaps more playfully than she meant to.

Asami’s head tilted, a curling smile on her red lips. “No, I work on them sometimes. Basic maintenance or repairs or upgrades. I’ve worked on machines since I was little. My father’s company builds a lot of transportation equipment.” That was a hard thing for her to imagine for two reasons: she knew nothing about machines herself and the other woman just didn’t seem the type to want to get her hands dirty.

“It’s your company too though, right?” Bolin asked around a mouthful of his second bun.

“Not really, no. Maybe eventually.” There was another smile that looked a lot less like Asami meant it. “So…can I ask something at the risk of sounding terrible?” The woman inquired with an apprehensive expression, seeking their eyes.

“Go for it!” The younger of the two answered, while his older brother watched the woman with curious attention.

“I don’t understand why so few Benders leave Republic City. Why go through this?”

Staring at her agape, Bolin’s mouth started and stopped a few times. Mako’s eyebrows lifted to nearly his hairline, but he was the first to speak. “People are still leaving Asami, especially with the housing deadline, but Republic City’s my home. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”

“Plus, where is there to go anymore, right?” His younger brother supplemented. “For one, nowhere else has the sort of stuff this city does. I guess you could move to Ba Sing Se, but you know…” Korra mulled over his words.

“I _don’t_ know. What’s the deal with Ba Sing Se?” She asked curiously.

“It’s kinda…” He thrust his hand out, wiggling it back and forth, grimacing.

“And the royal family supports the Equalist government here, anyway,” Asami commented, taking a sip of her whisky. “They were meeting with the President the other week, actually.”

“Oh, I heard that! Our Grandma is crazy about the Earth Queen. She's got her picture up and everything!” Finishing up his bun, he quirked his mouth. “I mean…there’s also Zaofu! That place is amazing, but I heard they’re not too happy to see Republic City transplants anymore.”

“Yeah, I ran into Lin the other day. She told me the government there is working to tighten security around the city borders.” Mako added quietly, but Korra had trouble discerning how he felt about it. The discussion was difficult for her to contribute to having little to no knowledge of anywhere outside of the South.

“What about you, Korra? Have you been here long?” Asami queried and she struggled to find something safe to say.

“Not that long. I’m not a citizen. I grew up down in the Southern Water Tribe.” Korra offered, trying to figure out a short and sweet explanation. “I’m here for Pro-Bending. It’s the only place that has it.” That was true enough.

“People follow Pro-Bending down there? I thought it was like…a Republic City thing?” Bolin question, sneakily grabbing yet another bun.

“I mean, well, yeah…” She took a moment to think, trying to figure out if she'd slipped up. “We see it in the papers," That was true, though she was significantly more taken with it than most. "But Bumi comes down to visit his mom and sister every once in a while. He likes to talk about the matches.” That sounded believable she thought, though she and Bumi had never spoken much prior to her arrival in the city. “So, are you…not an Equalist or something, Asami?”

The woman’s smile faded, and she glanced at Korra with a wounded sort of affront. “No, I’m not.” It made her want to explain she just assumed all Non-Benders here were, but the woman’s response made it obvious she was probably mistaken in that. 

“It’s not like the Equalists are bad, necessarily. They have a point about some things.” Mako remarked, crossing his arms and glancing away from them.

“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about politics guys!” His younger brother cautioned. “We’re having fun, right?!”

“All I’m saying is they’re not totally wrong that Benders started the one-hundred-year war and yeah the Avatars were powerful, but they were also really dangerous. Maybe there is something to the idea that screws with your mind.” Korra bristled at the speech, violent refutes and rebukes on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them down with a bit of whisky.

“OK…guess we’re talking about politics then.” Sighing dejectedly, Bolin chucked his own drink back in preparation. 

“Do you really think that’s possible, Mako?” Asami asked, seemingly shocked and Korra could certainly relate. He shrugged and nodded, glancing over at her as though challenging a response, as though he could feel the argument growing large inside her. It really was not a good conversational direction for her, was replete with a plethora of traps and dangers. Unfortunately, his resolute face proved too tempting. 

“You know what? No. Totally disagree.” Korra started, driving her finger into the marble tabletop for emphasis. “Bending is amazing! It’s an organic connection with this world and the spirit and _woah_ have I been spending too much time with Tenzin!” Pausing, she collected herself. “But seriously…yeah, Benders have a responsibility to learn to control it, sure. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the best about that. That it’s…what did the thing I saw the other day say… a corruption? No. No way.” She concluded, feeling the pressure leak from her, words a release valve.

Bolin was significantly more judicious when he chimed in, hopping on board with her cautiously. “I hear what you’re saying, Mako. I do! But I gotta go with Korra on this. I never feel better than when I’m bending, clear-headed, and good to go, you know?” 

The older brother was quiet, drawing in air before he formed his rebuttal. “But what if corruption can’t recognize itself? The Equalists point that out. People aren’t good at recognizing their failings. I got a lot of training on this when they still let Benders be cops. I was on the force for a year and they made sure we were reading the research they’ve been doing, the science.” It was evident that he believed what he was saying, and Korra found herself, not for the first time, feeling very disconnected from the attitudes of this city.

If there was one thing that she found troubling here, it was how the inhabitants of Republic City walked around with this unacknowledged but actively bleeding emotional rawness. There was an ideological divide amongst the people here, which she had assumed was primarily between Benders and Non-Benders, but that was oversimplified she was realizing. That the lines and who fell where along them, were far more torturous and complex? It made sense. Because she could feel it sometimes from all sorts of people, that seething hurt that simmered below the surface of their smiles and politeness. It was a constant and prickling discomfort that most seemed bent on pretending did not exist. A quiet, but unsteady current flowing beneath the proclaimed unity. 

“I’ve read them too.” Her voice was softened and tentative when Asami interjected.

“Then you know what I’m talking about.” Mako gazed at her earnestly, seeking support.

“Yes…” The woman began delicately and Korra raised an eyebrow, waiting for the Non-Bender to side with him. “But there is a pretty glaring flaw there. I take issue with it.” 

Her head tilted, an animal sensing some distance noise it could not identify. “What flaw?” She felt herself asking.

Asami delivered her assessment with the type of solemnity usually reserved for bad news. “The Equalists make that argument all the time, that bending causes corruption. But if there is corruption, they never address the possibility that it might exist in Benders and Non-Benders alike. They don’t perform comparable research on Non-Bender groups. Maybe bending agitates a very human capacity for corruption. Isn’t that just as possible? There are plenty of corrupt Non-Benders. The only difference is that they can’t throw fire from their fists. That doesn’t mean the fire is causal. Also, the research is limited to incarcerated Benders. Wouldn’t you think only looking at criminals is problematic for researching something like that? It’s poor science besides to attribute anything to a single factor without eliminating other options.”

Listening carefully, Korra absorbed and picked the information apart, shuffling it amongst the things she already knew. There was a lot for her to dig into, quite a few things which twisted her gut with immediate effect. She was trying to stay mellow though, at least mellower than she usually was. Her mind kept returning to how this woman would even know something like that. Did all Non-Benders know so much, or was this woman more interested in politics than most? And that Asami did not feel as Mako did, or even stronger? It was not what she would’ve predicted. 

“Isn’t it ultimately the same either way?” Mako probed. There was definite tension in his posture and Korra questioned if it was the conversation, or who he was debating against that generated it.

“How so?” The reply was friendly, deliberately so maybe.

“Either bending causes corruption or gives corrupt people a weapon; that makes it dangerous in the wrong hands. There’s no difference.” He argued.

Korra and Bolin were fixated on the two of them, eyes following speakers as if watching some tie-breaking one-on-one.

Shaking her head, Asami fought herself for a moment before the words fell out of her. “If the Equalists are right, if you take bending away and bending is the corruption, then corruption ends and it’s a solution. But if the corruption isn’t bending, then when you take it away, it changes nothing. All someone needs is a different or more powerful weapon. It’s a false solution.” There was a firmness in the woman’s voice, in her eyes. “So, there is a difference.” It was a pointed addition.

Korra digested this as she watched Bolin bite at his thumbnail. He was staring at his brother with a strange, helpless look on his face. She could see the conflict there…his wanting to come to Mako’s aid instinctually, but not sure where his own opinions fell. 

“It’s not like I’m happy about it, Asami, but why else would things have settled down with all the new legislation if there was no truth to what the Equalists say?” Mako commented, crossing his arms, his averted gaze alternately in his lap and on the woman.

“I don’t know, but it just doesn’t add up to me. You don’t…feel like there’s something wrong? Something strange in all of this?” The woman importuned, in a plea for commonality. It must’ve been a little crazy…going from lighthearted flirting to the conversation they were in now, Korra reasoned. “I guess it’s possible the Equalists are just bigots and there’s nothing more to it, but I don’t think that’s the case.” It was edgier than Asami’s other comments.

“Things are getting heeavy.” Bolin murmured with a crescendo into head voice as he offered Korra the bottle of fire whisky. She poured them half-glasses wanting to stay lucid enough to hear this. 

“You can’t tell me you think this could really be a cover for something else. That’s a little paranoid. And why would they make up the science?” It was defensiveness, something she recognized from arguing with people in her tribe about traditions, the kind of clinging which lead people to shut down. That last statement abraded though, and she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“She didn’t say they made it up.” Korra moderated, before taking a sip. _And whether anything was a smokescreen for something else or not, they are totally bigots_ , she didn’t say.

“Look…” He frowned and ignored her, eyes again landing on the other woman who was staring at him blankly. “All I’m saying is the riots stopped and the city’s mostly rebuilt…a lot of good came from this government. Nothing was working before they took control, there was no order anywhere.”

“That _is_ true. Total mess the last couple years.” Bolin volunteered cautiously. 

Asami closed her eyes. “I’m not trying to upset you, Mako. I shouldn’t have brought this up. We were supposed to be celebrating your win tonight.” When her eyelids lifted that kindness was back and affecting him, gentling his expression. “It’s on my mind all the time, though.”

“Really?!” The other man piped in from beside Korra. “But why? It doesn’t even touch you…right? You can just go home, kick back, and forget about it. I’d kill for that!” The genuine innocence with which Bolin posed the question, it visibly pierced Asami. The woman bit her lip, furrowed her brow before straightening her face. Even Korra knew that was not the right thing to say, though Bolin seemed completely unaware of the impact of his words.

“Maybe we should call it a night?” Mako said finally, breaking the silence.

They all departed the booth, shuffling awkwardly to the foyer. As Asami peeled off from the group, Mako made a fuss about it to his brother. Korra realized then, it was to pay for everything they’d consumed and she felt another flash of guilt until Bolin scratched his neck and remarked ‘but she never takes our money. We’ve tried every time before.’. This was apparently a normal thing then and Asami returned a few moments later without a word about it. Mako and she stood beside one another in silence, pretending as though their rawness no longer existed, dancing around each other in the way people did here. Then Bolin, whose rawness only ever seemed transient, wrapped Asami up in another hug, telling her how much he enjoyed her company, how fun this all was, thanking her. His boyish happiness changed the color of things instantly, soothed the accidental sting of his early words, and made everything feel a lot less somber. When he released Asami, she even returned to the taller brother. Exchanging a hug with him, the woman shared similar though less effusive sentiments given at a distance that had not existed between them earlier in the night.

Still, Korra was studying them too much, reactions too guttural…and she hated what she felt biting at her brain. There was absolutely nothing to be remotely jealous over, yet her responses to the two of them…they were steeped in all the telltale signs. Bolin scooped Korra up, away from her thoughts, and into a similar embrace, drawing a chuckle as she hugged the tipsy man back.

As the boys, much lightened, strolled through the entryway, evening air rolled through the open doors. She could see and just barely hear Bolin spouting off about the beauty of the night’s weather from outside. Mako was near him and smirking, ever-present scarf caught in the breeze, hands jammed in his pocket. 

As she made to leave, Asami caught her hand, tugged it without much force. It shocked her dumb, as she turned around. “Korra,”

“Yeah?” She asked, feeling immediately and unduly like she was in trouble, body tensing for flight. 

“Here.” A small, folded bit of paper was tucked into her palm.

“What’s this?” Staring down at it in wary silence, her side braids slid across her cheeks, tickling. She then gazed questioningly up, having to extend her chin with them standing, noticing only now that the woman was several inches taller than she was.

The green of those eyes sparkled a little when Asami smiled, that unique color emphasized by the dusting of plum purple that coated her lids. She wondered how long it would take her to learn to do makeup like that, if she would look like a kyoshi warrior caught in a rainstorm if she tried. “It’s the recipe for those buns. I asked the chef…it’s a house specialty and you seemed to like really them.”

The simple, thoughtful gesture that she had no reason to deserve surprised…perhaps more than it should have. Her hand closed around the now half-open note. “Uh…thanks. That was nice of you.”

Asami’s lips parted slightly, a flash of white teeth and nervous guilt added husk to her naturally uneven voice. “It was really good to meet you. Sorry the night went the way it did at the end. That was my fault.” Korra wasn’t certain she agreed with that assessment but didn’t see the purpose of arguing it. “I hope you still had fun?”

She blinked, not at all sure what to make of this girl. “No, I did. Thanks again, for the dinner and this!” Lifting the square, she grinned before a bit of seriousness slid in. “It was good to meet you too, Asami.” Korra finished, turning and tucking the recipe away as they walked out into the darkness together.


	3. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tenzin's POV

Tenzin was wide awake and watching with a combination of frustration and amusement as a young woman attempted to sneak into the air temple. She was quiet, stealthy, but did she truly believe there was even a chance he hadn’t noticed her absence?

“Where you have been? The match was over hours ago, Korra.”

She jumped about a mile, grinning manically and all teeth. “Tenzin!! Hi. You’re up.”

“You have seconds until your curfew hits. This is wildly irresponsible.” He reprimanded, folding his arms and gazing down at her.

Apparently unintimidated, she scoffed. “You’re giving me a curfew?!”

Sighing, he reminded her of the very important rules she was supposed to be following while omitting the fact he'd already called in and lied for her. “It’s not my curfew, it’s because of your non-citizen status! I have to report that you’re in.”

The response was changed from indignance to legitimate remorse. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot!!” Rubbing at her cheeks with the base of her palms, she peered up at him through fingers, groaning. “Who do you have to report that to again?”

He could already feel himself softening at her apologetic tone. It would do no good to be cross with her in any case. The news he needed to deliver tonight would be difficult enough. “The gaming commission has an office for non-citizen Pro-Benders. I have to check-in nightly as your Sponsor. Were you finishing your healing hours?”

She grinned uneasily at him. “Uhh…”

And the softening…it hardened right back up again. “Korra, you need to be much more careful.” He cautioned. “It’s important we’re sure that you’re following these regulations to the letter.” There needed to be absolutely no reason for anyone to question anything about her staying with him, about her in general.

Throwing up her hands in a gesture of appeasement, she glanced at him with eyes that were exactly the same as the first time he’d seen them. Those big blue eyes, childlike and expressive…worried him for her ability to keep the secrets they needed to, to hide anything at all. “I’m gonna do them tomorrow, I swear!”

“Where?” He queried, doubtfully. 

She straightened up, likely trying to project responsibility and adulthood. “The Pro-Bending arena. They staff healers. I signed up already and everything! I promise!”

“Very well, but try not to put it off so long next week?” Tenzin relented as she nodded vigorously, and they walked along the stone pathway together. Sensing she’d had a good evening, the waves of excitement coming off her, guilt swelled greater inside him. Tempering his voice deliberately, he asked after her mood indirectly…wondering if she’d confide without prodding. “May I ask where you were tonight, if not getting your hours in?”

“Oh, uh…I was out with the team. We got dinner after the match!” Her gaze was hopeful, the most obvious _‘don’t be mad at me’_ he’d ever seen. “Hey, can we stay out here a minute? I need to bend.”

He frowned, watching her. Perhaps she needed to burn off her lingering enthusiastic energy? “Would you prefer the gazebo or the training area? And you do realize it has to be waterbending only,”

“Gazebo. I just need to heal something real quick, that’s fine right?” She reassured, then inquired.

His concern was there and immediate. “Of course. Were you hurt?”

Shaking her head, she showed him the edge of a dark bruise that covered a sizable portion of her abdomen. “Just a good hit. It’s not bad, but it’s ugly.”

With a self-suffering exhale, he bit back any commentary. He still found it difficult to wrap his mind around why Benders were so dedicated to a sport where they were forced to attack one another, but nonetheless did his best to seem interested in the only thing she was allowed to do. “How did your match go, by the way?”

Grinning and closing her eyes, she gave him a thumbs-up, reminding him of Meelo for a moment. “We won!”

Nodding to himself, he raised an eyebrow. “Then you were out celebrating?”

That grin turned pleading once again, as though she were awaiting reprimand. “Yeah.”

“Congratulations!” He responded genuinely, before ending on a more fatherly note. “And that does explain the whiff of fire nation whisky on your breath.”

“It was just a little!” This girl really was atrocious at lying, pinched her fingers to emphasize. It was laughable really, but she did not appear affected…was clearly handling whatever amount she’d consumed. Korra had spent so much of her life isolated from social interaction with anyone near her own age, any children at all really. He supposed it stood to reason she’d be curious about such revelries, and Bumi and Kya both had been on his case to ease up on her over such things. 

“I’ll do my best to try to come to your next match.” There was no anticipation of enjoyment, but he wanted to support Korra. She deserved that. “I apologize I couldn’t make it tonight.” In truth, despite his misgivings on Pro-Bending, he would have chosen to be there instead of where he actually was in a heartbeat.

“It’s okay. I know you were busy, and I know you don’t like it. Some girl ended up coming out with us after too.” The expression she made was a strange one, and he wished Pema were here to interpret it for him. _‘Some girl’_ gave little clue as to why there would be another joining them. A girlfriend of one of the brothers, perhaps? “Her dad sponsors the team.”

Ah. “That would be Asami Sato, I’m assuming?” 

Korra gazed at him, suspiciously inspecting his face. “You know her?”

“I do. Not terribly well. Bumi is more familiar with her, but her father’s company has been involved with taking government contracts for many of the projects which the council works on. She sometimes accompanies him to meetings. Hiroshi Sato is quite an avid Party member.” 

_Hiroshi Sato._ Years ago, before all of this came to a head, the businessman and Tenzin had interacted amicably and cooperatively. There was never any hint to him of vehement equalist ideology. Now, Hiroshi was one of the most outspoken anti-Bender industrialists in the city. He was a man who proudly espoused philosophies that sowed hatred but shook his hand when they crossed paths as though they were friendly acquaintances. It shocked him in a way it should not have, to see someone who could convincingly shroud his convictions when it was politically convenient or compartmentalize them to the point where a fundamentally different moral view could be reduced to a difference of opinion. The dualities of human nature were an abrasive truth at times, a burdensome reality that he would need to dump on this poor girl tonight. Little in this world was ever completely right or completely wrong. Absolutes were few and far between. 

“Her dad is an Equalist?!” Korra remarked, grimacing down at the paving stones. “That’s weird, ‘cause she says she’s not.”

He was puzzled by her confusion over it, the clear discomfort…as though he’d disillusioned her somehow. “Did you get the impression her claim was untrue?”

“No, I didn’t.” She murmured quietly.

“Well, I know Bumi thinks quite highly of her. If you have no reason to think she was being dishonest, I would give her a cautious benefit of the doubt. I don’t think it could hurt.” He gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Children don’t always agree with their parents I’m finding.”

Korra chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. “Uh oh…Meelo or Ikki?”

“Jinora actually. It would seem she has a ‘boyfriend’. Perhaps you could convince her she’s too young for such things?” He knew he was stalling, but he wasn’t quite prepared to ruin her good humor yet. That Earth Kingdom boy he’d seen sneaking around the temple…he would love to airbend him right off the island, which was not a very charitable thought. 

“Sorry, Tenzin. No way am I involving myself in that!” He should’ve expected as much. “Is it that kid that’s always around? Kai?” He felt his blood pressure rising. How did she know of him? Had Korra noticed this herself? Had Jinora confided? How long had this been going on? Blue eyes were wide, as Korra clicked her tongue while looking rather uncomfortable. “Or we could not talk about it before your head explodes.”

“That might be a good idea.” He acknowledged, breathing in the calm, releasing the dark. Perhaps he’d stalled enough. “Come inside after you heal yourself. I’d like to speak with you for a bit. It’s…important.”

Her head cocked, but he gave her no more information. Not out here. “Sure.” She said finally. “Oh!! Hey.” She dug into the pocket of her pants, pulling a slip of paper out, and thrust it toward him. 

“What is this?” Unfolding it, his eyes traced confusedly over a list of ingredients.

“Do you think Pema could help me make this recipe?” She enquired enthusiastically.

“Hmm.” The items didn’t seem too exotic. “I don’t see why not. It’s vegetarian. I’m sure the kids can help you pick up the ingredients tomorrow after your healing hours are done. We have a few supplies I was going to send them for anyway.”

“Great! We had them tonight at dinner. They were so good!” The girl did have an appetite and it was nice of her to want to share the experience with his family, but he thought his wife would be especially appreciative. She had a soft spot for Korra.

“I’m sure Pema will enjoy the time spent with you as well. She’s very fond of you, you know.” She beamed up at him, clearly happy to hear it. “I’ll see you shortly in the shrine?”

“Yeah, it’ll only be a few minutes.” And off the girl jogged, scooping some water with a bowl he kept for her by the fountain. She carried it carefully to the gazebo, where she could bend it and he did not stay to watch her healing. 

Tenzin made his way anxiously to the shrine where they’d meet, eyes tracing the statues out of habit. Pacing, he waited while attempting to formulate the perfect way to deliver the news. It was an exercise in futility…there was no good method. What he had to say would not be received well, was tragic and unacceptable and in some respects a betrayal of Korra’s trust. He was not shocked the White Lotus left it to him to deliver the news. What they’d done was arguably a perversion of a very noble goal, a need to keep Korra safe, to preserve the Avatar line. The provisions made were taken to unfortunate, possibly unforgivable extremes and he wished he’d been more vocal in his opposition. Things had gone much too far. 

“That’s so much better.” She commented, stretching her arms above her head. “I think I bruised some ribs or something."

“Please, take a seat.” He flicked his red robe behind him, sitting cross-legged.

“Meditation time? This late?” Plopping herself down across from him, her eyes immediately fell to the scraps of machinery scattered against the sidewall in pieces. “What’s all that stuff?”

He paused. The White Lotus had instructed him to keep his explanation brief, omit any details of the plan that he could. _The less she knew the better_ … it was a mantra at this point, but after tonight he wasn’t sure there was any ethical justification for it. He was questioning and deeply, wondering if they’d permanently tipped in favor of an _‘ends justify the means’_ approach. If so, he would need to forge his own path…and where did that leave Korra?

“It’s a personal Varriscan unit.” It was a step toward the truth and the very beginning of his own plan. "They use them to enable bending in small locations, the gazebo for example."

Her brow furrowed. “Where did you get this?”

That was perhaps the only thing he was certain she didn’t need to understand. “It’s best you don’t know.”

She scoffed, rolling her eye playfully. “Okay, I’m assuming that means you stole it. Why?”

“We need a secure location to work on your Airbending.” Korra’s airbending was too forceful, poorly controlled, and as such not nearly as useful to her as it should be. It was brute power and no finesse. She’d only come to find it under extreme duress, right before the emergence of her access to the Avatar state. 

“I’ll be able to bend in here? Like any type I want?” Her eyes lit up at the prospect.

“It doesn’t work, yet. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to figure out how to properly arrange and operate it. But once it’s running, that will be the goal. Your training has been severely neglected.” They’d never even had a chance to work together on it. Between those hunting her, his house arrest, and the debacle with Unalaq…it just hadn’t been possible. 

“But I can airbend now! I even went into the Avatar state! I can do all of it.” She protested with typical petulance. She was sensitive about her skills in that respect, having mastered the other elements quickly. 

“You need to learn control.” He remarked.

“Right, control.” She mumbled to herself. “Sounds like a blast! How are you gonna get this piece of junk working anyway?”

“Fortunately, it’s identical to the arrays in the demonstration areas outside.” There were only Varriscans on Air Temple Island because as part of his family being allowed to remain there, Tenzin had to agree to perform government-sanctioned airbending demonstrations. The Equalists romanticized the slaughter of the Air Nation as some allegory for the violence that lived inside all Benders. The Fire Nation turned on their own kind, they said, destroying the most peaceful and spiritually connected among them. The non-bending public came in droves to see silly little tricks at the gazebo, choreographed displays. In return, he received a small proportion of the admittance fee for temple maintenance, but more importantly, was allowed to stay there and avoid being sent to designated Bender habitation grids. It was a horrible arrangement, but he was given no choice if they wished to stay here. “Ikki seems to have an aptitude for the electrical components, but it is a very complex machine.” He added. Ikki had done all the dismantling thus far…had gotten one of them to blink briefly. Though he wasn’t sure it was a good thing, it was further than anyone else had gotten.

“So, what’s the plan?” Korra asked.

“You and I will need to train on a regular schedule and it will need to be late when there is no possibility of interruption.” And he was avoiding again. He knew.

“Tenzin,” Her voice was tired suddenly.

“Yes?”

“I mean what’s the real plan. The White Lotus didn’t really bring me to Republic City just to hide me in plain sight, did they? All I do is hide. I'm tired of hiding.” She lamented, obviously expecting a brush off, but stubborn enough to ask anyway.

“It was not safe for you in the South anymore.” It was never safe for her in the South.

“I know that, but that’s what the White Lotus has been saying for my whole life. I’m never safe, so why start the training again if that’s all this is? If you wanna train me, you gotta be thinking I should be out there too, right? That I’ll need it.” 

It was a fair point, but part of him clung just as stubbornly to the purpose they’d established since Korra was first identified. Conflicts raged inside him, even as the words left his lips. “The White Lotus believes it would be best if we just focus on keeping up with your non-citizen requirements and lay low for now.”

Her temper was quick and she made no attempt to disguise it. “So, what? I’m supposed to train with you for some reason you won’t tell me, and pretend not to be the Avatar until you decide to let me in on what’s really going on? I’m sick of no one telling me anything!! I’ve been moved around my whole life, hid in every inch of the South Pole. I barely ever get to see my parents and now this?! I even got that stupid implant. I’m trying to follow these ridiculous rules…but it’s been months, Tenzin. Why am I here in this city? Give me anything!”

His doubt coalesced and broke through his resolve, wrenching the remaining principle from his continued deception. “You’re right. You deserve to know, especially with what I need to tell you. Perhaps this has gone on for far too long already.”

Her anger dissolved and faded into pure shock, mouth hanging open. “Wait…what? Really?!”

“I did not have a meeting tonight.” He began. There was a small coalition of respected Bender representatives, the Bender Alliance Council, of which he was a part. Their presence was required at certain government meetings. They had no influence or voice any longer, but as respected leaders in the Bender community, they were responsible for ensuring compliance. However, tonight he was meeting with the White Lotus in secret.

As he gathered his thoughts, stuttering starts and stops emerged from her before she fell into silence. She braced her hands on her knees and stared at him expectantly.

“I suppose some history is needed.” Tenzin continued. “The Equalists first came to my attention about twelve years ago. As you know, the White Lotus was tasked with protecting you when you were identified as the next Avatar. There was not just the one kidnapping attempt before we moved you to the compound. They’ve been nearly constant. The White Lotus has exhausted resources attempting to investigate each as thoroughly as possible, put an end to it, but it’s been…a challenge. We were all shocked when one of the earlier attempts, the one when you were seven…do you recall that?”

The girl was stolen when she was asleep, chi blocked, stuffed into a canvas bag in the dead of night, and dragged away. The White Lotus was able to run down the sled, but Korra had terrible nightmares for years after.

“Hard to forget.” She murmured, scratching her neck uncomfortably. 

“Our leads led us back here, to Republic City and this little-known movement that called themselves the Equalists. At that point, they were quite small, but they had a group of chi blockers they’d dispatched to the South to obtain you. They came very close…dangerously close. We were never able to determine why they want you and to what end, but they do. Even more troubling, other attempts started before we even identified you, from a different group. We barely succeeded in finding you before the others who were looking. They were never traced to individuals, but we know it was a group calling themselves the Red Lotus. They're some rogue off-shoot of the White Lotus…anarchists, who objected to any concentration of power, including the Avatar line. It was decided that a more aggressive approach was needed to protect you. That's why we've always hidden you, how the rumors of a lost avatar began.” He paused, gathering courage for the next part.

Korra swallowed, coming out of lotus position to bend her leg, toss an arm over it. Her face was thoughtful. “I mean, I know people were trying to find me, but who is this we? Who decided all of this? The White Lotus?”

“The White Lotus, some of the masters, and your family were consulted. Those who were trying to find you were still suspicious, did not stop looking.” Tenzin thought she was probably aware of this or would’ve guessed and her nod confirmed it. “Eventually a decoy was employed. That’s actually what I wanted to speak with you about.”

Her expression was one of pure confusion, brain busy. “What does that mean?"

“The decoy. Tonight,” With a pause, he stroked his beard worriedly, forcing the next part out. “She was unfortunately killed. Whoever is behind it, seems to truly believe the Avatar is dead.” He revealed, guilt heaving him.

Korra froze before thawing with a violent jump to her bare feet, fingers burying themselves in the skin of her sides, as she crossed her arms. “The decoy was a person?! Tenzin, there was an actual person?!! And she _died_?!”

“Your father, Katara, and I argued against it,” It sounded a pathetic excuse to him when spoken aloud. “But the White Lotus had already put their plan into effect as a last resort. She was a Water Tribe girl about your age."

Korra was shaken to a degree he'd never seen before. “I don't understand...you’re telling me they posed someone as me?! And she was killed tonight?!?”

“Yes. They were held out in an ice cave, in between relocations. During an attack the cave’s ceiling became unstable. Several guards were killed as well. I’m sorry, Korra. I know this must be difficult.”

“What about her family?” Her voice was barely her own.

“She was an orphan. I’m told that’s why she was selected.” This he had not known until the meeting tonight.

“Did you know her?!” The accusation in her words was aggressive.

Tenzin did his best to stay calm, unable to imagine what the young woman was going through right now. In all his arguments with the Grand Lotus against this, in all of Tonraq’s and Katara’s protestations…they were focused on the unnecessary risk to the girl posing as the Avatar, how it was not right to offer anyone up that way. They had no better plan, the White Lotus had argued back, and as frustrating as it was to admit...they did not. No one knew how to keep Korra safe. But never had they spoken of what it would do to Korra if the girl were killed or injured. They’d not thought to.

“I never met her, no. The other girl was an orphan as well.” He admitted.

“Other girl?! There were two?!?” He thought he’d mentioned the guard, but it would seem he hadn’t yet.

“Not quite. This is the story I was told tonight, Korra. It seems the decoy Avatar was found on a diplomatic mission to Zaofu. One of the Grand Lotuses immediately recognized the resemblance to you. She’d apparently been living on the streets in one of the poorer regions of the Earth kingdom alongside another child, a gifted Metalbender. The Metalbender was taken in by the Beifongs for training, and the Water Tribe girl followed. This is where the Grand Lotus met her. It is my understanding that when negotiations were made to take the young Waterbender back to the compound in the South Pole, the Metalbender child wanted to go with them. Both the White Lotus and the Beifongs were adamantly against it, but it was discovered the child snuck onto the ship once they reached the South. The Metalbender refused to leave, somehow made her way back, and actually broke into the compound twice. For lack of any choice, she was eventually allowed to stay as a companion and they went into hiding together with a guard detail. The child insisted on following the same training regime and became a capable bodyguard to the decoy Avatar.”

“Can we maybe not call her the ‘decoy avatar’?!” Her voice was rising, eyes shining even in the dim light. “And what happened to the bodyguard?”

“She was badly injured in the attack but survived.” He answered quietly.

Seeing Korra this agitated, this upset, he felt helpless and somewhat heartless. “I can’t believe this. When did he find her?!! When did all this start?!” She questioned, rubbing her eyes.

“Ten years ago. I understand that they learned illusions to make it seem as though she could bend other elements. Primarily fire and air. The bodyguard came up with some way to make her earthbending look as though it was being done by the other girl.”

He’d never been so ashamed of anything in his life, even if it wasn’t his doing really. So much of it had occurred during his house arrest at the hands of the Equalists when he was made an example of and monitored relentlessly...when the intention to have him as Korra’s teacher was put on indefinite hold. The shift to moving the decoy girl into more obvious situations as a distraction, the Unalaq fiasco…he found out about both only after the fact. He’d been of no assistance to Korra in either situation and that felt a complete failure on his part. 

“I’m not okay with this. I am _not_ okay with this Tenzin!!” Her hands were twitching fists and the heat radiating from her, her aura…it was fearsome and panicky. “How did whoever attacked her find where they were hiding?”

“A decision was made to purposefully draw attention away from your relocation to Republic City after what happened with your uncle."

He felt terrible for his phrasing upon seeing her face, knowing she was now assigning blame to herself. Her uncle, a supposed member of the White Lotus, had convinced the other members to allow him access to her unbeknownst to her father. Dark spirits had been plaguing the Southern tribe and Unalaq, a presumed member of the White Lotus, was able to persuade the Grand Lotus that spirit bending was a vital tool for the Avatar, that Korra should learn as many types of bending as possible to increase her chances of survival, that she needed a new teacher since Tenzin was no longer an option. He explained the coming harmonic convergence and the concerns associated. In the end, Unalaq stole her away…manipulated her into opening the Southern spirit portal…nearly killed her at the Northern portal. Only the Avatar state had saved them all, allowed her to reseal Vaatu in the tree of time. Planning began to move Korra to Republic city almost immediately after Unalaq was imprisoned for his treason. The only saving grace in such tragic chaos was that so much of it had occurred in the spirit world, away from prying eyes that might see her face. 

"The two of them were out there like bait, while I was training to Pro-Bend?! …this is unbelievable!!!" 

“Hiding you differently, out in the open like this, having you receive the implant, it was the only way we could think to save you.” It felt as though he were trying to convince himself as much as her.

Korra said nothing for a long time…glared at the floor with arms crossed and enough tension to pop her biceps. “What was her name?”

There was a sort of horrid desperation on her face that made it impossible to lie. “I don’t know her name, Korra. My understanding is they only ever called her Avatar.”

Her eyes were impossibly wide, focusing on nothing, chest rising with increasing franticness…her eyes flashed with white before she gasped, knees buckling, sweat breaking across her skin. He was by her side in an instant, knew the Avatar state was pushing at her, that the implant was shocking her internally.

“Korra!!” There was no answer, only clenched teeth, and trembling fists, tears pouring from clenched eyelids. He touched her face, brought her glowing eyes to meet his. “Korra, you have to calm down. It’s the implant. I need you to…”

The sound was unlike anything he’d ever heard in his life, two voices at once, was horrific enough it made him release her. The earthen stones beneath them began to shake and ripple… and then she collapsed, unconscious. His heartbeat lived in every inch of his skin as he looked at her, checked her pulse through the dampness of her skin. She was in his arms not a moment later, carried to her room where Pema came, having heard the otherworldly sound. His wife shooed their children back to bed and brought a cool compress for the girl’s head, sending worried glances from the doorway, until he explained the basics of what had transpired.

When Pema departed reluctantly, he set back to his pacing as he waited for her to wake, wondering if he was simply making a horrible situation worse by telling her the truth. The White Lotus had asked him to convince Korra to play along with the Avatar’s demise. That was his next task, but for what purpose? To what end? So those that were attacking her could scour the Earth Kingdom hunting a new infant Avatar that did not exist? Likely terrorize families with newborns? He could not imagine what they would resort to, given their dedication to finding Korra.

She jolted awake with a start. With bloodshot eyes and poor pallor, she hauled herself up into a sitting position. Tears and tiny hitches she tried to hide from him were all that filled their quiet. Tenzin expected her to question what had knocked her out, but she seemed either aware of the cause or uninterested in it. He stayed silent…sitting across from her, absorbing what felt like due punishment until finally, she spoke.

“This ends now. I don’t want to be protected like this! I’ve done nothing as the Avatar, except be stashed away! I’m supposed to help the world find balance. The Equalists, whoever the Red Lotus are, they need to be stopped. The only thing I’ve done is almost destroy my connection to my past lives and get someone else killed. I can't do this anymore!”

He shook his head. “That’s not true, Korra. You've...”

"Tenzin!" She interrupted. "Come on. You know it is and you can help me figure this out or I’ll go out on my own, but I’m done.” And she very much seemed to be serious.

With a deep inspiration, he nodded. “Okay."

She gaped at him. “You’ve gotta stop with the caving!"

“You’re right and I’m sorry, Korra. What else is there for me to say?”

She hunched over, growing pensive, not bothering to conceal the shiver of her lip or the few errant tears that escaped down her cheeks. “Are my parents safe?”

“Yes, they were relocated after the convergence,” He admitted.

There was a quiet scoff and a frown, as she wiped her cheek harshly with the back of her hand. “Where?”

“Zaofu.”

Skepticism colored her stressed features. “Zaofu again? Why? What is that place?”

“It is the safest place for Benders currently, a city of metal in the Earth kingdom. They’re with Lin’s sister, Suyin. The Beifongs are quite well established there. They will be taking the guard back in as well. She’ll be relocated as soon as she is well enough to travel. She’s being cared for by Katara and Kya in the South Pole currently.”

“…and Naga?” She said, blinking back another set of tears. He wanted to hug her but was quite sure now was not the time.

“Naga was relocated as well and is with your parents now. They are all well-hidden and well taken care of.” The attempt to reassure felt futile as it left his lips.

Sadness and hurt painted her expression as she picked at her fingertips, closed her eyes. “Why can’t I have her here? It’s driving me crazy. And when can I see my parents, Tenzin? …and I should meet that guard…apologize.”

“Unfortunately, Naga can't come here. She would be too obvious a tell.” He had not agreed with separating the Avatar from her animal companion from the get-go and neither had his mother, but he understood the rationale. He always understood the rationale, which worried him. “Not anytime soon, unfortunately, especially with this new development. Not if we want people to believe the Avatar is truly passed on. Also, I’m not certain it would be a good idea for everyone else to be aware I’ve told you so much.”

“Great, more secrets!!” She shifted her jaw before opening her eyes and glaring. “I wanna see my parents, Tenzin.”

“I’m sorry, Korra. I truly am. None of this is the least bit fair to you.”

“If anyone thinks for one second I'm gonna let my parents think I died, I will absolutely lose it!! I swear. I don’t care what the White Lotus says.” Her voice cracked over the top of her anger.

“Of course not.” He answered, but knew she had every reason to guess that might be coming at this point. “Your parents know you're here, but will be told to act as though the news is true. Funeral plans for the girl are underway, which they will attend.”

She stared at him again, daggers and steam. “Funeral plans?!"

“This is why the White Lotus came to me tonight. They want you to pretend to believe the Avatar has died, to pretend to be affected by the news as well... to act as shocked as all other Benders will be. The White Lotus will relocate to the Earth Kingdom to seem as though they are preparing for the eventual emergence of the new Earth Kingdom Avatar. Please, we need to work beneath that story for now and I’ll do my best to find some way for you to meet your parents and Naga in secret.” This all felt so very wrong, and where he expected violent argument, there was only more silence…long and tense.

“And the guard? What about her?” Korra asked, finally. “I wanna see her.”

That would be quite difficult, and he did not know how the guard would feel about such a thing besides, close as she and the decoy Avatar were. “I will do my best, but I can’t promise it.”

Quiet thickened the air again, as the girl hugged herself, a protective measure. She was staring at the opposite wall, eyes blank and he searched for anything to say. Ultimately, Korra found her words first. “Why does he wear that stupid mask? The President.”

Centering himself, he accepted the change in topic, folding his hands in front of him. “He claims he was attacked by a Firebender and badly scarred. He has shown his face at rallies. It appears to be the truth.”

“Huh.” That was the only response she gave.

“Korra…”

“What?” She responded disinterestedly.

“I…” He began, unsure of himself, of the wisdom in talking to her now, but he was tired of lying. “I believe that if you train consistently...if we can get you to the point where you can access the Avatar state at will, perhaps you may be strong enough to overcome the influence of the implant. You earthbended a little just now, even with the pain. We’re speculating that the implant must work in a similar fashion to the chi blocking the President’s private security force performs. Something like a more permanent version of the gloves his police carry. It’s impossible to tell, but the Avatar state may be powerful enough to overcome its influence. I believe it is and I’m hopeful with proper training, once these scanners are operational, we can get there…together.”

There was again no reaction, almost as though she hadn’t heard him. “Why is the President doing all this? Do we even know?”

“It does appear to be some legitimate vendetta against Benders and the Avatar, but we don’t know for certain that there isn’t more to it. Perhaps he also hoped to draw you out with all of this. We will need to see his reaction when the news about the Avatar's death breaks tomorrow. It’s been increasingly difficult to understand his motives though. His aims and rhetoric have become far more political and mellowed since his partnership with Councilman Tarrlok. I suppose we should be thankful for that in some small measure. I believe the implant option was Tarrlok’s influence, though the councilman opted to be equalized.” He commented, knowing they’d now entered the realm of personal feelings. He’d always been shocked at the Councilman’s decision to give up his bending, further shocked by his alliance with Amon.

Shaking her head, Korra crossed her legs on the mattress and hunched down a little. Curled into herself, she looked every bit as young as she still was. “Then we’re okay with this? The Equalists? The implants?”

“No, we're not, but President Amon definitively does have some means of removing bending. He is a dangerous man, Korra and he has growing support outside of Republic City. The implants are a safer option than losing bending entirely. We’re all afraid. I’ll admit that.” Having seen what the man was capable of, few Benders would even try to resist at this point. He’d foolishly thought it was the answer at first, resistance, discussion…it had done nothing. 

“Has anyone tried to take one of the implants out?” Her question was uncharacteristically cautious, as though she feared the answer.

He sighed. “One year ago, a man attempted to have his removed in a back alley operation. It has some sort of safeguard and emitted a pulse that stopped his heart once it was touched. I don’t know if the same thing would occur if such a feat were attempted within that Varriscan unit. I suspect not, but it's a risky assumption.”

“Tenzin.” Swallowing, she finally looked at him. “You’re not gonna try. You can’t.”

“I’m not, and I’ve advised strongly against anyone attempting it, but I was…overruled.”

“Who?”

He gave her a knowing look. “Would you care to guess?”

Her bloodshot eyes rolled skyward and hands dragged over her face. “Damn it. Lin?”

“That room will not only be for training, unfortunately. She plans to attempt it here.” It was solemn news to deliver.

Korra’s face was resolute. “We can’t let her do that.”

He tipped his head. “No one decides what Lin Beifong does besides Lin, Korra. I’ve tried. She will not even listen to Kya on this and Kya usually has the best luck with her. We’ve all tried. She, out of all of us, has taken the implant the hardest. Perhaps because of the loss of her role as Police Chief too.”

“I’ll talk to her then.” The girl grumbled and he very much doubted it would make any difference.

“Well, at the very least we have time. Nothing can be done until we figure out how to put that blasted thing together.”

“What’s your plan for figuring that out?” Her tone was rough, exhausted. 

“When you’re at the arena tomorrow, observe whatever you can about how these operate.”

She startled visibly. “Me?! I don’t know a thing about this stuff.”

“Anything at all could be helpful.” It was a longshot, he knew. “Did the implant hurt you terribly? Back in the shrine?”

“I don't wanna talk about it. I’m fine now, but I wanna be alone, Tenzin. I’ll do it, okay? I’ll pretend the Avatar is dead for now, but if whoever was after me does anything in the Earth Kingdom, I'm done pretending and I’m definitely done for tonight.” He nodded, as she slid down as though her body weighed a thousand pounds and turned on her side, away from him. Making his way toward her door, a single word, barely audible and so small sunk his heart. “Night.”

He wanted to apologize again, to seek her forgiveness, to reassure her…but it would be empty and purposeless right now. She needed time.

“Goodnight, Korra.” He said gently, sliding the door closed. 


End file.
